Multi-County Counseling, Inc

MULTI-COUNTY COUNSELING, INC.

OUT-OF-OFFICE SAFETY GUIDELINES SERVICE MANUAL

PLAN AHEAD

·  Know your emergency evacuation escape routes and back-up plans.

·  Observe the drug-free workplace policy.

·  Communicate safety concerns to the Regional Director.

·  If you are afraid of being harmed, leave the home and call the Regional Director from a safe place nearby.

·  If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

·  If the consumer cannot be left alone due to his/her need for assistance, call the Regional Director or 911. Stay nearby until you are instructed as to what to do.

·  If the address of your destination is in a location unfamiliar to you, try to find another person who may be familiar with the location to brief you regarding any known risks or possible hazards.

·  Contact the client ahead of time e.g., by phone or letter to schedule your site visit if applicable.

·  Ask for precise driving directions and/or consult a map before leaving the office. Plan your route. Be aware of potential “safe havens” such as police stations, fire stations, or business offices en route to and from your destination.

·  Keep address files updated. Communicate to the office where you will be and if necessary, check-in. If working in pairs, stay together.

·  It is strongly recommended that you leave an itinerary at the office or advise administration where you plan on going. Regular call-ins, and check-in/check-out procedures should be used so that it is known where you are throughout the day and when you have safely returned at the end of the day. If your route changes significantly during the day, for example due to a cancelled appointment, be sure to call in to report your change of schedule.

·  Arrange work schedule so new or questionable visits are made early in the day. You’ll be less likely to find loiterers congregating on street corners, and you won’t get stuck in a potentially unsafe neighborhood after dark.

·  Carry your cell phone with you at all times and make sure that the battery is charged and the phone is working properly prior to leaving the office. (Be aware that there are some “dead” spots for cellular transmissions.) Program your cell phone speed dial numbers so that your Regional Director, 9-1-1, and other emergency numbers can be dialed with the push of one button if needed.

·  Know your office’s call-in number or your Regional Director’s number. Memorize these numbers. Program these numbers into your cell phone.

·  9-1-1 dispatch cannot reliably identify your location when you are calling from a cell phone. You must be able to verbally give the dispatcher your location (street address or at least cross street names) in order for the dispatcher to send help to the right place.

·  Carry a minimal amount of cash. Have change for the pay phone, just in case.

·  Make sure you have all necessary items with you when you enter the house, apartment, business, etc. so that you don’t need to make multiple trips to the car

·  Lock or conceal your valuables in the trunk of your car before leaving the office. Take only items necessary to do your job.

·  Purses, backpacks, or other unnecessary items should not be taken on site visits.

·  Report all accidents/incidents to your Regional Director.

TELEPHONE SECURITY

·  Do not give your home phone number, address, marital status, or names of family members to clients or their family members.

·  When calling clients from your home, you may choose to use call blocking options so clients who have caller ID do not have access to your home phone number. You may also choose to have an “unlisted” home phone number.

·  Do not call one client from another client’s home phone. Use a cellular phone, or call from the office before beginning your visit. Following this procedure respects clients’ confidentiality and protects their safety.

CAR SAFETY

·  Always drive defensively and safely. Obey all driving laws, including wearing your seat belt and observing speed limits. Be aware of other vehicles and surroundings.

·  Drive with your doors locked, and if possible, your car windows up.

·  Always lock your car. Lock door with your keys in your hand so you do not lock them inside the car.

·  Always carry your keys in your hand when going to and from your car. Consider carrying two sets of car keys. One set to use and one set to have in reserve and concealed

·  Don’t leave equipment, cell phones, packages, or bags out on seats in view of passersby. Cover them up or put them under the seat or in the trunk if possible.

·  During inclement weather conditions such as snow, ice, or fog check with your Regional Director before driving. You may need to reschedule visits until roads are safe.

·  Do not attempt to drive through big puddles or over flooded roadways. Find an alternate route or reschedule the trip for another time when the roadway is clear.

·  Special driving precautions in rural areas: watch for debris and potholes; lanes are narrow, be aware of oncoming traffic; watch for surface changes; watch for slow moving vehicles; be aware of unguarded railroad crossings; and watch for animals.

·  Choose a parking space that is in the open and near a light source that offers the safest walking route to the dwelling. Make sure you have a working flashlight in the car.

·  It is always better to park on the street than in a driveway. That way, there is less danger of being blocked in when you want to leave.

·  Park in the direction you want to go when leaving the visit. Know your location and the most direct route out of the area when it is time to go.

·  Beware of dead-end streets and dark deserted parking areas. Have an escape plan.

If possible, try to park where you can see your car and watch it periodically during the visit.

·  Remember that parking in front of your destination is the shortest distance between two points. If you cannot find a safe parking place, cancel the visit or travel with a companion or escort.

·  Watch for rubble and broken glass that can flatten a tire or a ditch that can immobilized your car.

·  If anyone or anything is likely to attack due to your presence leave the area immediately

NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY

·  Pay attention to what is happening around you. Drive around the area and block of the site visit looking for fences, bushes, or other hiding places.

·  Look for places to go in case of an emergency: Block-watch homes, pay phones, gas stations, business offices, fire stations, police stations, or police cars.

·  Observe the activity near the location of the visit. Avoid groups of people who may be drinking, fighting, yelling, etc. Know the “colors” of local gangs and where they hang out. (Ask your Regional Director to contact the local police department to obtain this information.)

·  Be aware of individuals lurking about or acting suspicious. Do not make assumptions; appearances can be deceiving. Be observant of body language and behavior.

·  Do not look at or become involved in apparent crime or suspicious situations involving people on the street. LEAVE THE SITUATION. Don’t use your cell phone where you can be seen. They may think you are calling the police and become violent. Once you are in a safe place, call the police, your Regional Director, or another appropriate authority and report the incident.

·  Be aware that high-rise apartment buildings present a whole new arena of concern about personal safety - especially fire safety. Know exits routes and be aware of others who may be in landings/hallways.

·  Pay attention to signs like No Trespassing, Beware of Dog, Beware of the Owner, as they may be an indicator of the resident’s attitude toward strangers.

·  If relatives or neighbors are or become a safety problem, do not make the visit alone.

·  Signs like Neighborhood Watch are indicators that others in the community have an increased awareness and interest in what goes on in their neighborhood.

·  Trust your instincts. If you are feeling uncomfortable, cancel the visit, reschedule or request assistance from your Regional Director, other Public Health personnel, or the police as appropriate. Your Regional Director will support your decision to leave or not enter the home or business if you are feeling unsafe.

APPROACHING THE HOME/BUILDING

·  Maintain a self-confident, self-assured posture and attitude. Walk briskly, with purpose, looking around to identify potentially hazardous situations.

·  Notice individuals, be aware of their movements and try to keep them from cutting you off from an escape route or cornering you. If you think you are being followed, turn and LOOK. If you are being followed, cross the street and go to the nearest public place and call for help. If you see no place ahead to go to for help, cross the street and RUN back the way you came. Don’t hesitate.

·  Whenever possible, keep to the middle of the sidewalk and sidestep dark alleyways, bars, and groups of loiterers.

·  Be aware of other regular visitors in the community (like the mailperson) who can advise you of hazards like dogs or come to your assistance if needed. Don’t be afraid to converse with other public officials, work crews, etc. It lets them know you are in the area and you can get useful information from them regarding your surroundings.

·  If a group is blocking the doorway to your client’s dwelling or business, leave and reschedule your visit.

·  If you are verbally confronted, maintain a professional manner. Respond directly and don’t attempt to answer verbal challenges. Do not engage in confrontations. Leave the situation.

·  If you decide it’s safe to enter the dwelling or business, make a mental note of other exits as soon as you’re inside. Use caution when using stairways. Notice if people or objects are located on the stairs or landings. When walking in dimly lit hallways or deserted stairwells walk quickly and be especially vigilant.

·  Pause at the door and listen before knocking. If you hear loud quarreling, sounds of fighting, or some other disturbance, leave immediately.

·  Knock on the door standing to one side of the door NOT directly in front of the door, and identify yourself. Stand to the side of the door UNTIL you receive a response. Avoid standing in front of a window.

·  When the door is opened, decide if you will enter the home or invite the client outside, depending on what you can see happening inside the house.

·  Do not enter a home unless there is an adult present. If a child answers the door, tell the child to go get their mother or father. If their mother or another adult caregiver is not in the home, you will then have to decide if DHS-CW needs to be notified.

·  Be aware of signs on the front door directing you to the back or another location, especially if you do not feel comfortable. DO NOT follow these signs. Instead leave the home and call the client to confirm your appointment, asking them to meet you at the front door.

·  Do not enter if you suspect that an unsafe situation exists. If the person you are there to see does not answer the door or is not there, leave and reschedule your visit. Your Regional Director will support your decision to leave or not enter the home or business if you are feeling unsafe.

·  If you are using an elevator, approach it with special caution. Don’t get in until you’ve sent it down to the basement and waited for it to come back up. This technique protects you from inadvertently getting into a car that’s headed down and possibly facing a stranger in a deserted basement. If possible use an empty elevator. Always stand next to the door and by the control panel. If having a problem, push all the buttons so the elevator stops on all the floors presenting a greater chance of escape.

·  If there is something suspicious about a person waiting to get on the elevator with you, step aside and wait. If someone suspicious gets on while you’re already in the elevator, get off as soon as possible.

·  If possible, have the client meet you in the lobby or at the front door. Give them an approximate time of arrival so they will be looking for you.

IN THE HOME

·  Use the same principles inside the home or building as you have used outside to get there including planning an escape route and trying to keep from being trapped or having to go through someone to get out.

·  If you decide it’s safe to enter, don’t let your guard down. Be alert to signs of violence, drinking, or sexual advances, however subtle, from either a client or a member of the family.

·  Ask to be seated during interviews. Choose a hard chair if possible. This will decrease the risk of carrying home unwanted visitors and/or sitting on a wet unknown substance. Give them your business card; be prepared to show them your official identification.

·  If possible sit so your back is to a solid wall, not to an open space.

·  Sit as close to the door as possible making sure you are positioned between the door and the client/consumer so that you will not have to go past anyone to leave

·  Be aware of other people in the building and traffic in and out of the building. You may want to reschedule for a time when fewer people are present or, if appropriate, you can bring someone with you.

·  If weapons are visible (e.g. guns or knives), evaluate the situation’s potential for danger. Leaving and conducting the visit at another time or location may be the safest choice.